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I was honored and slightly petrified when Shonell Bacon, my favorite editor and awesome-writer-friend, asked me to participate in the My Writing Process Blog Tour. She challenges me each month over at www.snaps100words.com so I acquiesced and accepted this challenge, too.

So, here goes…

What are you working on?

Before I retreat into the Data Den of All that is Awesome—my writing cave that lies somewhere between my right and left ear while I’m sitting in my home office—I spend most of my day writing public relations plans, media pitches and various copy for my clients.

Right now I’m working with Kamica Hampton, a Houston-based luxury real estate agent, to compile an ebook that walks women through the process of home-buying. It’s jam packed with useful information and, best of all, she is giving the book away for free!

Creatively, I have several irons in the fire …

First Family Secrets (The Church House Series, Book 1) – after much procrastination I decided to re-release my first book. I uploaded it to CreateSpace earlier today.

Good, Before & After He Finds You: A Lesson in Perpetual Personal Branding – 3 years ago I facilitated a workshop for women who eventually wanted to become wives. My perspective is that all women are wives—just waiting to be found by the right husband. If you don’t believe me see Proverbs 18:22. Anyway, I’m in the process of finalizing a self-help book based on the workshop. You can get the gist of the contents here.

The Boy in the Chicken Coop – It’s not a children’s story. I guess it is somewhere between a short psychological thriller and a twisted romance. Kinda creepy, huh?

How does your work differ from others in your genre?

I’m not sure that I fit neatly into any genre. While all of my work is inspired by my relationship with God, personal experiences and day-to-day observations, I don’t hold some of the constraints adhered to by many Christian authors.

Life is messy. My work is my perspective and solution to life’s messiness.

Why do you write what you do?

There is no other choice for me. If I didn’t write I’d have to live with all of the voices in my head.

I write because words have helped me get through so many of life’s challenges. Writing started as a way for me to face the sexual abuse I suffered from the time I was 3 years old until I was seven. Then it progressed into a platform where I could encourage, educate and uplift others.

Now, writing is like breathing for me. No matter what I write I experience a sort of nirvana.

How does your writing process work?

When I’m inspired I write. Believe it or not, I write daily for work and for my sanity.

I keep a journal with me to jot down ideas as they come. When the journal is full, I file it. On the days where I lack inspiration, I revisit those journals to help me write.

As far as the actual process of writing, I usually writing a 3-5 pages synopsis first. Then, I use that synopsis to do an 8 point story arc. From there, I write each chapter. Typically, my first draft of a full length novel is about 45-55k words. By the time I re-write, I’m at 100k words. During my self-edit I get rid of information until I hit about 85k words. Of course, I send it out to an editor then.

Up Next …

I’m excited about the women participating on next week. Keleigh and Jamesina are contributors to The Motherhood Diaries (Strebor Books). The other one is LaShaunda Hoffman, the creator of Shades of Romance Magazine (SORMAG).

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” If you click on the link and purchase the item; I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally or believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Makasha Dorsey is an award-winning author, motivational speaker and public relations professional. Her personal essay Diary of an Aspie Mom is included in The Motherhood Diaries (Strebor Books/Simon & Schuster). She blogs about being a writer, mother, wife, woman and Christian over at a wife in progress and has written for Absolute Write, The Midwest Book Review, Snaps1000Words, The Daily Times Leader, and ModVive Magazine. You can purchase a copy of her book First Family Secrets on Amazon.com.